Chapter 9 - THE GLASS OF WINE
Neither of them moved.
Nora stared at the white tablet.
Daniel stared at Nora.
Then he laughed.
"Vitamin."
Nora looked at him.
"In my wine?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
Daniel stepped toward the broken glass.
Nora moved first.
She backed away.
"Nora."
"What was in it?"
"Nothing."
"I can see it."
"You're being paranoid."
The word was deliberate.
Paranoid.
Another brick in the story he had been building about her.
Nora touched the wire beneath her dress.
Police were listening.
She needed him to talk.
"Was Switzerland going to be like this?"
Daniel stopped.
"What?"
"Would you put something in my drink there too?"
His face changed.
Only slightly.
Enough.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Twenty-five million dollars."
"Nora."
"Eighty-six million in shares."
His eyes hardened.
"Arthur told you."
"No."
"Then Rebecca."
Nora shook her head.
"My father told me."
Daniel stared at her.
"Your father is dead."
"I read your letter."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Daniel's mask disappeared.
For the first time, Nora saw the man underneath.
Not the husband.
Not the businessman.
Not the charming heir.
Something colder.
"You shouldn't have seen that."
Nora's heart hammered.
"But I did."
Daniel walked toward the bar.
He poured himself whiskey.
His hand was perfectly steady.
"So now what?"
Nora forced herself to remain calm.
"Tell me the truth."
"You couldn't handle the truth."
"Try me."
Daniel drank.
Then laughed quietly.
"My father hated Richard Bennett."
Nora said nothing.
"Your father was self-righteous."
"He discovered your father was stealing."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"He discovered things that weren't his business."
Nora felt sick.
"Did Robert kill him?"
Daniel looked at her.
"Robert didn't get his hands dirty."
Nora stopped breathing.
That wasn't a denial.
"Who did?"
Daniel smiled.
"Careful."
"Did you know?"
"I was seventeen."
"Did you know?"
He stared at her.
"Eventually."
Nora's eyes filled with tears.
Not weakness.
Rage.
"And you married me."
"That wasn't personal."
Nora laughed.
"Marriage wasn't personal?"
"You had something my family needed."
"My shares."
"Your father stole those shares from a deal he didn't understand."
"They belonged to him."
"Not according to my father."
Nora stared at Daniel.
"So you found me."
"Yes."
The confession hit harder than she expected.
"The bookstore?"
"Planned."
"The coffee?"
"Planned."
"Our first date?"
"Planned."
Nora swallowed.
"The proposal?"
Daniel hesitated.
Then smiled.
"Mostly."
Something inside her went quiet.
Good.
She needed quiet.
"What about Lucy?"
For the first time, Daniel looked uncomfortable.
Nora stepped closer.
"Was she planned too?"
"No."
The answer came quickly.
Nora believed it.
"Did you ever love her?"
Daniel looked away.
Nora's chest tightened.
"Answer me."
"Love is complicated."
"No."
She shook her head.
"It really isn't."
Daniel put down his glass.
"Lucy complicated everything."
Nora felt cold.
"How?"
"I was supposed to control the shares through you."
His voice became irritated.
"Then you became obsessed with motherhood."
Nora stared at him.
"You mean I loved our daughter."
"You stopped paying attention."
"To you?"
"To the business."
Nora almost laughed.
"Your business?"
"Our future."
"Your theft."
Daniel's expression hardened.
"You have no idea how much I've sacrificed."
Nora couldn't believe it.
"You targeted a grieving woman for money."
"I gave you a life."
"You gave me a cage."
Daniel slammed his glass onto the bar.
"Enough."
Nora flinched.
He saw it.
And smiled.
There it was.
The reaction he wanted.
Fear.
He stepped toward her.
"You think Arthur will protect you?"
Nora backed away.
"He protected Lucy."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Lucy."
The way he said her name made Nora's blood run cold.
"What?"
"Everything is Lucy."
"She's seven."
"She destroyed everything."
Nora stopped.
"What did you say?"
Daniel realized the mistake.
But he was angry now.
Anger made him careless.
"If she had just stayed quiet at that party—"
"Celeste hit her."
"And suddenly everyone became righteous."
Daniel paced.
"One stupid tooth and now investigators are crawling through my company."
Nora's hands trembled.
"One stupid tooth?"
Daniel turned toward her.
"You know what I mean."
"No."
Nora's voice broke.
"I don't."
Daniel stepped closer.
"You want honesty?"
"Yes."
"I wish she'd never been there."
Nora stared at him.
Daniel continued.
"I wish you had never brought her to that ballroom."
Nora felt tears slide down her face.
Not because Daniel had hurt her.
Because Lucy had spent seven years calling this man Daddy.
Daniel saw her tears.
His voice softened.
"Come on."
He reached for her.
Nora backed away.
"Don't touch me."
His expression changed.
"Nora."
"Don't."
She turned toward the door.
Daniel grabbed her arm.
Hard.
Police heard everything.
Nora knew they did.
But Daniel dragged her backward.
"You wanted the truth."
"Let go."
"Now you're going to listen."
Nora struggled.
Then a voice came from the dark hallway.
"Let her go."
Daniel froze.
Nora turned.
May you like
Celeste stood there.
And in her hand was a gun.
